Service quality at Varsity Colleges in Durban North and Westville : students' perceptions

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Abstract

Customer satisfaction, customer value and service quality have become the primary
focus of service organisations in today’s customer era. The higher education industry
is no different.
As higher education institutions strive for competitive advantage, customer service
and service quality are becoming driving forces. Today, service quality is recognized
as one of the most important factors in developing and maintaining successful
relationships. Superior service quality leads to enhanced customer satisfaction and
increased loyalty. Institutions that focus on superior quality service can enjoy a
distinctive competitive edge since improved levels of service quality are linked to
higher revenues, higher customer retention and increased market shares.
The aim of this research study was to evaluate customer service quality at Varsity
Colleges in Westville and Durban North. The SERVQUAL questionnaire was used as
the instrument to measure students’ expectations and perceptions according to five
quality dimensions. Four hundred and fifty one respondents were selected from the
two campuses using non-probability sampling and convenience sampling.
Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to analyse the data.
Conclusions and recommendations were made from the findings of the research
study.
The study revealed that students’ expectations of service quality exceeded their
perceptions on the five service quality dimensions used in the SERVQUAL
questionnaire. Improvements are necessary in certain dimensions of service quality.
In order to improve service quality, it is recommended that Varsity Colleges close
these gaps by ensuring that apt strategies are put into place in order to improve
service quality.